New Orianne Center Opens Its Doors

The first two buildings of the new Orianne Center for IndigoConservation (OCIC) opened for occupancy this month marking a major milestone forThe Orianne Society’s captive breeding program. The facility, which is beingconstructed in two phases on 25 acres of remote uplands and wetlands in centralFlorida, will produce Eastern Indigo Snakes (Drymarchon couperi) forreintroduction into the wild.

Groundbreaking for the facility took place on July 20, 2011, andthe first phase was completed with the construction of a Quarantine Buildingand Herpetarium.

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The newly constructed Herpetarium

The Quarantine Building at the OCIC is designed toaccommodate the intake of three separate groups of animals on a rolling basis.As new animals arrive they will be established in one of three separatelycontrolled quarantine rooms and enter a 90 to 120 day lockdown period. Duringthis time, the health status of every snake will be evaluated along withfeeding and behavioral notes to develop a medical record and profile for eachanimal. Following lockdown of one room, additional animals can enter the OCICusing the next open quarantine room.

This program has an emphasis on preventative medicine andhealth screening to identify individual health issues. These protocols also aidin the prevention of vectoring disease from incoming animals to those alreadyestablished in the OCIC collection. Following successful completion ofquarantine, “graduates” will be released from quarantine to join ourestablished collection in the Herpetarium.

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Interior of the Herpetarium

The Herpetarium portion of the complex is a spacious mainroom which can house a large variety of reptiles and amphibians, along with allthe features of a productive work space. This “flex space” can be used to setup enclosures designed specifically for the species to which they arededicated. A large “cool room”, managed on a separate A/C system, will supportspecies from cooler environments, like amphibians and reptiles from cloudforest and montane (mountain) regions.

Currently under construction at the OCIC is a set ofinnovative outdoor breeding enclosures. Representing a fresh approach tocaptive snake breeding, the outdoor enclosures will ultimately be the hallmarkof the OCIC. While it has long been known that opportunities to bask in thesun are crucial for the health of crocodilians, turtles, tortoises, andlizards– snakes have traditionally been overlooked in this aspect.

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The new Quarantine Building

This is due, in large part, to the fact that most snakespecies can thrive in captivity despite a lack of exposure to sunlight. Eastern Indigo Snakes, however, show a marked decline in reproductive abilityafter 3 to 4 years of captivity.

Since, in theory, the Eastern Indigo should have areproductive longevity of 10-15 years the decline in reproductive abilityconstitutes a major challenge for the large scale captive breeding of thespecies.

The OCIC is designed to overcome this barrier with extensiveuse of outdoor habitats that will not only make sunlight readily available, butalso afford opportunities to thermoregulate (pick the best environmentaltemperature for various physiological functions), to be exposed to the seasonalcycles of night and day, and to cool down in winter dens. Taken together, thesefactors will provide the primary foundation for the long-term reproductivesuccess of the OCIC indigo breeding colony.

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Interior of the Quarantine Building

As one of the basic foundations of The Orianne Society’sconservation strategies for the Eastern Indigo Snake, the OCIC captive breedingfacility is the final component of an impressive multi-tiered approach to theconservation of the Eastern Indigo Snake. In combination with field research,establishing preserves and wildlife corridors, and ongoing habitat restorationand management, the OCIC is a critical element of The Orianne Society’scomprehensive model for species specific conservation.

We are excited to provide these exceptional experiences forour reptilian residents who will be making significant contributions to theconservation of their species!

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